Now Available to Own: The Forest, Justice League vs. Teen Titans, and More

Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of April 12, 2016. Every Tuesday we run down new movie and television releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can help save you some coin. New on shelves this week are The Hateful Eight, Archer Season 6, Point Break, and more.

At this moment, the horror genre is in a place of transition, and it’s not in a good position for fans. The ’80s were great for slashers, the ’90s for shlocky camp, and ’00s for reboots and torture porn, but the ’10s are lacking in awkward limbo state. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some refreshing hits like V/H/S, The Cabin in the Woods, It Follows, and The Witch, but they are few and far between. The Forest is stuck in the aughts, with predictable scares and little tension. Natalie Dormer gives it her all, she’s wonderful, but the plot is paper thin and the terror of what should be a horrifying environment isn’t there. Utilizing such a historic location like the Aokigahara Forest (the Suicide Forest) as the backdrop for the film, The Forest doesn’t weave the infamous locale to work in favor of any of the themes or story. It only serves as a place of destination that invites the opportunity of ghosts. Listening to the filmmakers and cast discuss their intrigue in the special features is far more gratifying than most of the movie itself.

Special features include:

Exploring The Forest: Cast and filmmakers discuss their initial attraction to the project and the history behind the Aokigahara Forest; and dive into the characterizations, the visual effects, and the lore of the infamous Yurei in this behind-the-scenes featurette.

Galleries

Storyboards

Feature Commentary with Director Jason Zada

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (Sam Liu) Rated PG-13 [Run Time N/A] – Robin is sent to work with the Teen Titans after his volatile behavior botches up a Justice League mission. The Titans must then step up to face Trigon after he possesses the League and threatens to conquer the world. Starring Jon Bernthal, Rosario Dawson, Jake T. Austin

I’m all in favor of the tone and animation style DC Entertainment has laid out for their animated features, but I haven’t been the biggest fan of their Batman stories. And having unleashed the entire toy box of characters from both Justice League and Teen Titans, you’d think it would be a dizzying time. Being familiar with most of the characters sans Blue Beetle I didn’t have too much of a handicap going in. And surprisingly the story is pretty decent. All of the characters had a place they fit into and JLvsTT didn’t feel overstuffed. It would be hard to go in blind, not knowing the context or relationships of the heroes. JLvsTT does an OK job at setting up the Titans, but the movie still hinges on the fact that you are mostly aware of who these heroes are. These animated films are for fans, plain and simple. JLvsTT is a pretty solid action/adventure film for fans aside for one looney tunes DDR montage that overstays its bizarre welcome. For those who want more context and want to dive deeper into the history of these characters, the extras are quite rich in the lore of the DC heroes; plus you get some bonus story content in the form of two cartoon episodes.

Special features include:

An exclusive sneak peek at the next DC Universe Original Movie.

Featurette – “Growing Up Titan” – The Teen Titans have fascinated readers for over 50 years due in part to their stories of valor, as well as earning empathy with comic book readers during their own trials growing up into adulthood. This documentary spotlights the importance of young voices in the DC Comics mythology, giving generations of readers a team of heroes that mirror their own life experiences.

Featurette – “Heroes and Villains – Raven” – She is the daughter of one of DC Comics’ greatest villains, the demon Trigon. Raven is a powerful telepath who uses her soul-self as a means for astral projection. She is integral to the Teen Titans. This documentary is her story.

Featurette – “Heroes and Villains – Trigon – The most fearsome and evil opponent the Teen Titans have encountered is this inter-dimensional demon. Trigon uses his immortality to shape worlds and exact his control. This documentary introduces the character and how he raises the stakes for the Teen Titans.

I’ve been waiting for 7500 for quite some time. It’s been on horror fans radars since back in 2012 and has now just received the VOD direct-to-DVD treatment. And after watching this film I don’t blame them. The plot is wildly tempting, but the execution is poor. None of the characters are particularly likeable and the whole movie feels as stale as the air you find in an airplane cabin. For such a short run time, Flight 7500 is a slog. There are not enough unpredictable scares to make up for the snail of a pace and low tension. And the end twist is hardly rewarding enough to make up for the time spent to justify its existence.

Special features include:

“Inside Flight 7500” Featurette

Also Available to Own

Grace and Frankie (Season 1) [DVD Only]

Heroes Reborn: Event Series

Ride Along 2 [Digital HD Only]

Joy [Digital HD Only]

Blu-Ray Deals and Steals

Top Gun: 30th Anniversary Edition – $12.99

Leon: The Professional – $9.99

Beetlejuice – $4.99

Se7en – $4.99

Howard the Duck – $9.49

It Follows – $9.99

Full Metal Jacket – $4.99

Braveheart – $4.99

Revenge of the Nerds – $6

Magic Mike – $4.99

Where the Wild Things Are – $4.99

Gotham: Season 1 – $14.99

All prices from Amazon.com. Best Buy, Frys, and Target all price match online prices.

What will you be taking home this week? Tell us in the comments section below!

Be sure to follow Turn The Right Corner on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr if you know what’s good for you! Your support means a lot, and you’ll also get all our great updates sent right to your feeds.

About Author

Tyler Schirado is the founder and editor-in-chief of Turn The Right Corner. Legend has it, he’s said to have rode on the back of a T-Rex and has the natural survival instincts to live through the zombie apocalypse. His spirit animal is a corgi.